Reference:

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, released the 8th edition of "EnviStats India 2025: Environment Statistics" on June 5, 2025, in New Delhi during the national workshop on the theme "Use of Alternative Data Sources and Frontier Technologies for Policy Making."

Key Highlights:

• Published on the occasion of World Environment Day.
• Provides comprehensive analysis of India’s environmental conditions, trends, and challenges.

Structure and Objective:

Structure:

The publication is divided into six major components in line with the United Nations "Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES) 2013":

1. Environmental Conditions and Quality
2. Environmental Resources and Their Use
3. Residuals
4. Extreme Events and Disasters
5. Human Settlements and Environmental Health
6. Environmental Protection, Management, and Engagement

Objectives:

• To provide scientific and statistical data for policy making, research, and environmental management.
• To promote transparency, academic use, and global standardization of data.
• To encourage the use of alternative data sources and advanced technologies.

Key Findings and Statistics:

Climate and Temperature:

• Average annual temperature increased from 25.05°C (2001) to 25.74°C (2024).
• Minimum temperature rose from 19.32°C to 20.24°C, and maximum from 30.78°C to 31.25°C.
• Annual rainfall showed year-to-year variation, with no long-term consistent trend.

Energy Production:

• Thermal power generation rose from 7.92 lakh GWh (2013-14) to 13.26 lakh GWh (2023-24).
• Renewable energy production increased from 65,520 GWh to 2,25,835 GWh.

Fisheries Production:

• Inland fish production grew from 61.36 lakh tonnes (2013-14) to 139.07 lakh tonnes (2023-24).
• Marine fish production increased from 34.43 lakh tonnes to 44.95 lakh tonnes.

Biodiversity:

• India has 1,04,561 faunal species, including 20,613 marine, 9,436 freshwater, and 22,404 soil species.
• India’s biodiversity holds global significance.

Environmental Expenditure:

• Highest spending in 2021-22 was ₹2,433.24 crore on environmental sustainability.
• Increased focus on natural resource conservation; least expenditure in agroforestry.

New Initiatives and Reforms:

• Inclusion of new data related to power, transport, sanitation, and Ramsar sites.
• Structure made more component-based and user-friendly.
• Expert group identified and integrated new data sources for enhanced representation.

Policy Relevance:

• Crucial resource for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders to understand India's environmental landscape.
• Highlights emerging environmental trends, key challenges, and data essential for evidence-based policy making.
• Emphasizes the use of alternative data sources (mobile data, geospatial data, scanner data) and advanced technologies (AI, data science).

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)

Overview:

• Independent ministry of the Government of India established on October 15, 1999, by merging the Department of Statistics and Department of Programme Implementation.
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Current Minister (2025): Rao Inderjit Singh (Minister of State with Independent Charge)

Organizational Structure:

1. Statistics Wing (National Statistical Office - NSO):

• Central Statistics Office (CSO)
• National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)
• Computer Centre

2. Programme Implementation Wing:

• Twenty Point Programme (TPP)
• Infrastructure and Project Monitoring
• MPLADS (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme)

3. Other Institutions:

• National Statistical Commission
• Indian Statistical Institute (ISI)

Key Functions and Responsibilities:

Statistical Data Collection and Dissemination:

• Ensures coverage, quality, and credibility of national statistics using data from administrative sources, government surveys, censuses, and NGOs.

Scientific Sampling Methods:

• Surveys use scientific sampling for reliability and precision.

National Accounts Compilation:

• Compiles national income, public/private consumption, capital formation, savings, IIP, ASI, etc.

International Cooperation:

• Collaborates with UN, IMF, ILO, FAO, ESCAP and other global bodies, and aligns data with international standards.

Monitoring of Programme Implementation:

• Oversees TPP, infrastructure sectors, and MPLADS execution.

Data Collection Methods:

• Surveys, census, administrative data, and field staff operations.

Important Publications:

• EnviStats India – Environment Statistics
• National Income Estimates
• Index of Industrial Production (IIP)
• Consumer Price Index (CPI)
• National Sample Survey (NSS) Reports